Means for correcting ingrown toenails



March 24, 1953 J. M. TUVE 2,532,441

MEANS FOR CORRECTING INGROWN, TOENAILS Filed April 15. 1952 INVENTOR. JOHN M. TUVE Patented Mar. 24, 1953 MEANS FOR CORRECTING INGROWN TOENA ILS' John M. Tuve, Lemon Grove, Calif.

Application April 15, 1952, Serial No. 282,311

an infinite adjusting medium forming an integral part of the mechanism of said means.

Third, to provide a means of this class which is very thin and yet imposes considerable resilient force on opposite edges of toenails whereby they are gradually straightened without undue pressure.

Fourth, to provide a means of this class which is very thin and which may be comfortably worn in conventional footwear on the upper surface of a certain ingrown toenail.

Fifth, to provide a means of this class which may be readily and easily installed on ingrown toenails by the layman.

Sixth, to provide a means of this class which will not easily become displaced, due to its resilient strength and compactness and;

Seventh, to provide a means for correcting ingrown toenails which is very simple and economical of construction, efficient, durable and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims. Reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a human toe showing my means for correcting ingrown toenails secured to the toenail of said toe.

Fig. 2 is an end view of a human toe showing my means for correcting ingrown toenails, secured to the nail of said toe.

Fig. 3 is an unattached side elevational view of my means for correcting ingrown toenails.

Fig. 4 is an unattached edge view of my means for correcting ingrown toenails, illustrating by dash lines the locked position of the latch member thereof.

Similar characters of reference refer tosimilar 3 Claims. (Cl. 12881) '2 parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The clip members I and 2 and the latch member 3 constitute the principal parts and portions of my means for correcting ingrown toenails.

The clips I and 2 are provided with opposed hook portions la and 2a adapted to be hooked over opposite edges of an ingrown toenail. The opposite ends of these clip members I and 2 are provided with eye portions lb and 2b respectively in which the shank portions 20 and le of the clip members 2 and l are slidably mounted. These clip members I and 2 are preferably of non-corrosive material such as stainless steel having resilient strength. These .clip members I and 2 are very thin providing a compact unitary structure which is capable of being less than one thirty-second (es) of an inch thick above the surface of the toenail when installed thereon. The latch member 3 is made of soft malleable material such as brass or the like and is fixed to the clip member l by means of the rivet 3a. This latch member 3 may however, be secured or fixed to the latch member I by any other suitable means as desired.

The latch member 3 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing is contiguous t the clip I and extends through the loop shaped eye portion 2b of the clip member 2.

The operation of my means for correcting ingrown toenails is substantially as follows:

When the clip members I and 2 at their hook portions la and 2a engaged with opposite edges of an ingrown toenail as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, they are slidably adjusted into close proximity to the toenail 0 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, by reciprocally sliding the eye portions lb and 2b over the shanks of the clip members 2 and- I respectively as hereinbefore described. When the hook portions la and 2a have been firmly engaged with opposite edges on ingrown toenail and when the eye portions lb and 21) have been slidably adjusted as far as possible, away from each other the yieldable latch member 3 is bent over the eye portion 2b as indicated by dash lines A in Fig. 4 of the drawings, which prevents the separation or movement of the hook portions la and 2a of the clip members I and 2 away from each other. It will be noted that in the event the latch member 3 when in its folded position over the eye 2b of the clip member 2 may extend a considerable distance beyond the eye member 2b and for the purpose of neatness of installation, this yieldable latch member 3 may be cut off with a pair of scissors or'the like,

since it is made of soft brass or other material in very thin sheet form. When thus installed, my means for correcting ingrown toenails is worn as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, continually; and due to its thin compact structure it does not create any crowded condition within the wearers shoe and eventually the resilient character of the overlapping clip members, forces the hook portions la :anddw-upwardly tendingto: lengthen the radius aofrthe .toenailand pull .the' opposite.

edges thereof upwardly out of the flesh of the toe. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the toenail C is a toenail which hasbeen restored to substantially normal curvature." The-dash-line;..:

position B of the toenail C as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, indicates a severe ingrown condition or possible position of a toenail which after application of the clip members"! and 2 ashere inbefore described gradually is forced intoa cor-r rective growth form as indicated at C in Figs. 1 and v2 of thedrawings,

Th'oughI have shownand desoribeda particu-. lan ..construction-, ioombination and arrangement ofpartsfland. pQrtions,.I do notwishit be, limited to the -particularcombination, construction and arrangement, but-desire to include in the scope of, my. invention, the, construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims..-

Having. thusi described. my invention, what I claim as. new. and desireto secure byLetters Patent 1..Inia means forcorrectin'g ingrown toenails, a .pair,.of-Iresilient clip; members having hook' portionsnarranged .in opposed frela'tionship to each;othr,;said clip. members having, eye portionsathroughlwhichthe shank portions of. the.

of said clip portions for maintaining said hook portions in certain spaced relationship to each other, said yieldable member folded over a portionof the olipi member adjacent to the one with which it is connected.

3.-'In-a means for correcting ingrown toenails firstand. second thin flat resilient clip members each having a hook portion at its one end the opposite ends of said first and secondclip membersv having eye portions','the intermediate portion of said first mentioned elip 'portion between its hook and itseye portion extending throughthe eye portionof said second mentioned portion and the intermediateportion of. said second men:

tioned "clip .portion between its eye portion and its hook portion extending through the eye'por-" tion of said first mentioned clip portionand .a thin fiat yieldabl'e'member secured to one of said clip members and extending through the eye por--- tion of the other clip member and folded, thereover preventing said .hook portions of said 'clip members from ,moying away from each other. JOHN M; TUVE."

No" references cited. 

